the analog-digital GAP
I happened to spot this new commercial for gap on tv yesterday and went hunting for it. Couldn’t find who actually did it, but found the commercial on the gap site. A bit of a continuation of Justins insight about the whole analog digital thing. I think this is a good example of taking an analog to an obviously digital level of existance, but pulling it back again to mix with the analog for the sake of style and nostalgia. Extruded stars never really did it for me, but they seem to show up so much. However, sketch them out, render them flat, then start twisting the planes around, and voila, it’s totally hip, as gap is(not really). Mix in some shadows on the talent, and here we go, back to a percieved analogue, a kind we are all getting so used to, but is oh so sexy. It is this mix of analogue, digital, and percieved analog that makes motion graphics like this, ‘more than’. The animation is just spot on. Looks like it was a fun job. But sorry, doesn’t make me wanna buy gap clothes.
If anyone knows who did it, let us know!
*edit* it’s been reported that Shilo is responsible for this one. Thanks for the tip Shaun
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 1:41 pm |
Great work whoever was involved!!! But, I think Shilo animated it and the article mentions this graffiti artist/designer Gerald Soto did all of the drawings.
Below is a little bit more info on it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/arts/dance/16bloo.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 1:41 pm |
There was an article aboout this spot in the NY Times this weekend:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/16/arts/dance/16bloo.html?ex=1154145600&en=8be93546b46ce953&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Mostly about the choreographers, but it menions that Gerald Mark Soto did the graphics as well…
His website is here: http://www.geraldmarksoto.com/
I love the illustrations … nice vibe. But I love the 70s.
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 2:16 pm |
dude your the anderson cooper of motion graphics
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 2:35 pm |
You know a style is tired when Gap comes around asking for it.
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 2:45 pm |
So this guy has worked on it ? Makes sence i think…
http://www.geraldmarksoto.com
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 3:05 pm |
I saw this last night! Yeah, I was like ok here’s a new spin on an old concept. It kinda gives it a little cred.
But who else is getting sicks of pretty-people-dancing commercials?
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 3:12 pm |
“dude your the anderson cooper of motion graphics”
I sense a trend developing in Vomit’s comments.
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 5:17 pm |
the dancing thing is out of control, but I loved the original(?) dancing gap ads done over white in 1997 so much that I don’t mind if they do it again with a twist. I wonder if they just recalled all the iPod dancers? I recognise that afro…
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 6:07 pm |
good find!
Friday, July 21st 2006 at 9:39 pm |
This ad just feels wrong to me. Not sure if it’s because the Gap is trying to come across hip (and failing) or because this style (lets all dance about and have some graphics and stuff drawn overtop of us) has been over done…!? or both. Sure, it has been well executed, but is that enough?
Sunday, July 23rd 2006 at 11:56 am |
Fiercecurry said it best.
Why are y’all acting like you haven’t seen this a thousand times before? This is absolutely nothing new. I got sick of seeing this shit two years ago, am I the only one?
Moreso – why try to sprout any sort of meaningful “analog vs. digital” discussion with this piece? Sometimes reading this site feels like watching the writers trying to squeeze water out of a rock.
That’s not even the right analogy to use, but whatevs.
Sunday, July 23rd 2006 at 1:20 pm |
Because we haven’t seen it a thousand times before. It’s the subtle touch’s of the animation that I think are unique, the way the animated illustrations are rendered flat then bent around the talent on planes. It’s subtle things like that, that many people don’t notice. It’s nice, nicer than most work out there, which is why it is posted here.
Sunday, July 23rd 2006 at 1:50 pm |
It’s just flat elements bent around in three-dimensional space. Right? That’s all it is. Some live footage with some flat elements that are animated and composed in Z-space in such a way that they look like they could “belong” to the scene.
If you’d like me to point you to any of the seventeen million motion houses that have produced spots using that sort of method, I’d be glad to, but hey – you post on this site, I’m sure you can look back through the old posts. Or look at your sidebar.
If the elements being used were anything unique or interesting or showed any signs of being formally experimental in any way, I’d be all for it, I’d think it was cute.. but people were doing that shit in print back in 2001-02. People have been doing that shit with motion for at least the last two years.
I mean, Christ, the animation isn’t even interesting. It’s wipe on, wipe off, make it look like it’s getting drawn, attach it to the models dancing. The animation feels just as phoned-in as the rest of the piece.
To say that it’s “nicer than most work out there” is just kind of.. preposterous, you know? It’s a really mediocre piece. And I’m not saying “don’t post it” – don’t get me wrong – because I think you guys should be posting as much crap as you are decent work.
But it’s not brilliant, in any way, it’s not clever, it’s not “hip,” it’s completely dated and it shouldn’t merit any sort of discussion.
Sunday, July 23rd 2006 at 3:46 pm |
fikkaaahhh! It’s just TV!
back to squeezin water from rocks…
thanks for your gorgeous opinion.
Sunday, July 23rd 2006 at 7:02 pm |
Rofl
Thursday, July 27th 2006 at 6:37 pm |
tengustone – I’m hangin to see your work dude. What’s your URL?